2007 saw the return of the Spice Girls, reuniting after 7 years apart! As well as announcing a world tour & a Greatest Hits album, they also confirmed a new single - 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)' - released as that year's Children in Need single. In an interview with GMTV, Geri described 'Headlines' as a "big love song" and a "Spice Girls classic".

After a rather haphazard release strategy of "download only" (5th November), inclusion on the Greatest Hits album (12th November) and finally a CD single (19th November), 'Headlines' stalled at #11 in the UK - making it their first single to miss the Top 10 (in fact they'd never previously placed lower than #2). It spent a mere 6 weeks in the Top 100, and racked up total sales of just over 50,000. Undoubtedly a huge under-performance & disappointment for a group previously accustomed to #1 platinum smashes. It also reached #90 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

I remember feeling deflated after my first listen of it, because I'd been hankering after a triumphant uptempo return rather than a pleasant ballad. Of course, being a Spice Girls loon I played it loads, so I allowed it to grow on me. A decade on and I still don't think it's anywhere near as strong as their 90s classics, so I find its last place here justified, in what I'd regard as being a very strong list of songs! I still like it a lot though, evident from the score of 8 I gave it.

Let's not discuss that music video. x

Posted by: White Mustang Sep 25 2017, 11:58 AM

Not a surprising last place...It was just...Not very Spice Girls.

Posted by: schizo_spice Sep 25 2017, 04:32 PM

I still think it's a great song with a really beautiful instrumental.

It came alive on tour even initial hater Mel C admitted that later on.

It did kind if feel like it should've been follow up to a strong upbeat single though however I still appreciate Headlines.

Posted by: Jonjo Sep 25 2017, 08:53 PM

Mel C's middle 8 saves that song!

Posted by: HarryEzra Sep 25 2017, 09:29 PM

Not a suprising last place at all (although should be let love lead the way)

Posted by: Jay ☆ Sep 25 2017, 09:46 PM

'Let Love Lead The Way' is half of a Double A Side single with 'Holler'. It was released in October 2000 - their first release in 2 years - so it was a very anticipated release! The fact that they came back with a Double A Side was perhaps indicative of a little under-confidence from the group/their label to go with just one song. 'Holler' was a brand new sound for the girls - American produced R'n'B, while 'Let Love Lead The Way' was a little closer to the familiarity of their ballad hits... so I reckon the inclusion of 'Let Love Lead The Way' was them hedging their bets.

It seemed that pushing two songs was a good idea, because the single flew straight into the UK charts at #1! It thus became the Spice Girls' 9th #1 single in 10 releases - business as usual after a long time away from the charts, and surely the start of a successful era? Unfortunately, this would ultimately end up being the last hurrah of their heyday, before things turned sour within Camp Spice.... and barely 2 months after this hit #1, the girls quietly parted ways. I'll write more about this in the Holler commentary!

The song wasn't performed on a Spice Girls tour until the 2007/8 The Return of the Spice Girls world tour. Its performed by the 4 piece line-up, and as the final seconds of the song play-out, Geri rises from beneath the stage floor & joins the other girls again (the narrative being that she's reunited with them, after letting love lead the way. A nice touch!)

Posted by: Jonjo Sep 26 2017, 12:14 AM

I find LLLTW to be quite under appreciated tbh. It's stunning. Dated. But stunning.

Posted by: THEO. Sep 27 2017, 12:32 AM

Two utterly shit songs out of the way "Holler" next then a top 10 full of *.*

Posted by: Lukuzz Sep 27 2017, 04:54 AM

I adore Let Love Lead The Way. So underrated. One of my all time faves of theirs!

Posted by: Mr.X Sep 27 2017, 10:19 AM

QUOTE(Jonjo @ Sep 26 2017, 01:14 AM)

I find LLLTW to be quite under appreciated tbh. It's stunning. Dated. But stunning.

Yeah it is stunning and the vocals are perfect. The only thing I find a bit irky about it is the somewhat underwelming lyrics in the chorus, otherwise it would be right up there with their best, I think...

Lyrically FOREVER was one of their best albums (on par with SPICE) but I could never quite get my head around the lyrics in the LLTW chorus

Posted by: Hide&Seek Sep 27 2017, 01:02 PM

Headlines & Let Love Lead The Way - I can hum along and sing along to bits of both when they're playing. Still don't know all the words to either track.Right now as I type , they're not playing ....and so I cannot hum even a few seconds worth, 'cause they're that bland and forgettable.

I gave a lower score to Headlines for being such a disappointing comeback single. The title had me expecting something in your face.....until the brackets appeared with Friendship Never Ends which was I felt was a naff touch.

Posted by: White Mustang Sep 27 2017, 01:04 PM

Correct bottom two. Goodbye should be next, but it'll be the far superior Hollier i'm assuming.

Posted by: HarryEzra Sep 27 2017, 01:09 PM

I think it will be Holler out next which will be a shame because it is one of my favourites of theirs.

Posted by: Euphorique Sep 27 2017, 06:31 PM

LLLTW is stunning, definitely deserved to be higher than some of their other hits

Posted by: Jonjo Sep 27 2017, 06:50 PM

It definitely should be 'Holler' out next. Whether it will be though, I don't know. It seems to have a LOT of lovers and I feel like it doesn't have many scores below a 5... but we'll see.

Posted by: Jay ☆ Sep 27 2017, 07:11 PM

None of you predicted this - Mama falls short of the Top 10! This emotional ballad explores the difficulties in relationships between mothers and daughters that appear during adolescence, and the eventual understanding from the daughters that everything their mothers did was out of love. A lovely sentiment! It was dedicated to the Spice Girls' mothers, who also appeared in the music video!

Never one to miss a trick, the Spice Girls coincided the release of 'Mama' with Mother's Day in the UK. It was released as a Double A Side single alongside 'Who Do You Think You Are', for the Comic Relief charity, and entered the UK chart at #1. This was record-breaking - it made the Spice Girls the first ever act to see their first four singles peak at #1, and 'Spice' became the first debut album to contain 4 #1 hits.

The single sold almost 250,000 copies in its first week - which was highly impressive given that both songs were taken from an album which had already exceeded 2 million total sales by that stage! The single spent 3 weeks at #1, and went on to sell well over 700,000 copies. It was the 15th best selling single of 1997.

Posted by: HausofSZA Sep 27 2017, 07:13 PM

Holler top 10

Posted by: HarryEzra Sep 27 2017, 07:13 PM

I am just glad Holler is top 10!!

Posted by: Jay ☆ Sep 27 2017, 07:14 PM

Holler is Top 10 and I'm glad x

Posted by: Jonjo Sep 27 2017, 08:36 PM

That's f***ing disgusting. Get yourselves together Buzzjack and DenDen!!!

Edit: I don't get the adoration 'Holler' receives on here. I really don't :')

Posted by: schizo_spice Sep 27 2017, 09:01 PM

I've tried a lot over the years but I've never been able to get into Holler. Geri being absent isn't the reason at all either I just don't think it's a very good song. I was actually generous with the 5 I gave it.

Calm yourselves, 'Holler' haters - it's out! 'Holler' is the first song out that received a fair amount of love, with ten '10s' and one '11'.

After a couple of years away from the charts, the Spice Girls returned in 2000. The first taster from their third album 'Forever' came in the form of a Double A Side single - 'Holler' & 'Let Love Lead The Way'. 'Holler' is an uptempo song with clear R&B influences, and although I would argue that it is still very much a pop song, it's definitely a shift away from the pure pop of their 90s singles. Critics regarded Holler as more "mature pop" & a funky sound for the group. The change in sound certainly makes it one of their most divisive songs!

As mentioned in the 'Let Love Lead The Way' write up, the single reached #1 in the UK. It also performed well in other countries, notably making it to #1 in Brazil, #2 in Australia (certified Platinum), New Zealand (certified Gold) & Canada and #3 in Ireland and Italy.

Rather ironically, considering 'Holler' was produced by American producers Darkchild, American success wasn't forthcoming - it stalled at #12 in the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart! Its lack of success there could partly be down to a lack of a commercial CD release that all their previous release had received, and poor promotion. The full quartet didn't promote/perform there; only Emma & Victoria went over to appear on a few chat shows. A far cry from the intense US promotional schedules of their first two albums!

Most of the promotion for 'Holler' occurred in the UK, bar a few appearances in Europe - including the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm on 16th November. The leather-clad Spice Girls gave one of their slickest ever performances - but little did fans know that it would be their final performance for 7 years!

The Spice Girls quietly parted ways in December 2000, just a month after the release of the 'Forever' album - which was deemed a commercial failure. It missed the Top 10 in most countries, including a lowly #39 in the US. A highly-publicised chart battle between the Spice Girls & Westlife in the UK saw Westlife as the victors - outselling the Spice Girls by 3:1.

While a downturn in success may have had its part to play in their demise, it was also reported that the girls had fallen out with each other. Their publicist at the time, Alan Edwards, cites their Forever album launch party as the night when it felt like it was the end of the group. Emma & Victoria were reportedly annoyed by the behaviours of the two Mels. Mel B was said to be partying so hard that she was "out of control", while Melanie C flashed her middle fingers at the paparazzi & made it evident that she didn't want to be in attendance. Melanie C was unfortunately suffering from depression and an eating-disorder, issues that Victoria later admitted she wasn't even aware of at the time. Was a lack of communication a factor in the group parting ways?

A split wasn't announced, but their focus on solo careers from 2001 was a clear sign. The Spice Girls were effectively on hiatus... and it lasted for 7 years.

Maybe I've gone a bit overboard with this commentary. Back to 'Holler' itself...

I love the music video! Each girl represents a different element (Emma - water, Melanie C - earth, Mel B - fire, Victoria - air), and I really enjoy the dance scenes within a CGI glass pyramid - it's the most intricate choreography the group performed. I find it quite hilarious when people on YouTube talk about the video in terms of the Illuminati though.

Finally - one of my favourite ever Spice Girls performances is Holler at the Return of the Spice Girls tour in 2007/8. Despite the fact that this reunion was as a 5-piece, Geri (sensibly) opted out of performing it with them - although she did praise the performance, calling it "white hot". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVrR4ySTnpI

Posted by: Jonjo Sep 27 2017, 10:56 PM

ALL THOSE 10'S THO.

Posted by: Jay ☆ Sep 27 2017, 11:18 PM

QUOTE(Jonjo @ Sep 27 2017, 11:56 PM)

ALL THOSE 10'S THO.

Me returning to the thread to give you a piece of my mind, but then deciding I'm simply too sophisticated and Posh for Holler beef -

There's clearly a lot of Spice Girls love on BuzzJack, with 9 of their singles getting averages above 8. The first of the 8+ scorers to fall is 'Goodbye'! I'm quite shocked it's as low as this, actually - it was a one-time rate winner in a DenDen forum rate! 'Goodbye' leaving at this stage means that the Top 8 is entirely made up of five-piece songs.

Geri Halliwell left the Spice Girls in May 1998. During the US leg of their Spiceworld Tour that summer, the remaining four members recorded 'Goodbye' in Nashville. It was a previously unused song that dealt with the theme of a relationship ending; a rewrite occurred before the final recording, and the song became about the departure of Geri.

'Goodbye' was released in December 1998, just in time for the Christmas chart in the UK - the Spice Girls were looking to score their third Christmas #1 in a row. It faced strong competition from 'Chocolate Salty Balls' by Chef, but in the end the Spice Girls won out - by a tight margin of just 8000 copies! 'Goodbye' sold a pretty astonishing 380,000 copies in its first week on sale, making it their second highest first week behind the 429,000 that '2 Become 1' managed two years earlier. Its sales remained strong in its second week, with 208,000 shifted - but it dipped to #2, with Chef dethroning them. 'Goodbye' went on to sell over 900,000 in total, making it the group's 5th best seller. Three consecutive Christmas #1s was a feat only previously achieved by The Beatles in 1963-65!

Internationally the single performed well, including #1 peaks in Canada, Ireland and New Zealand, #2 in Finland, Italy and Sweden & #3 in Australia. In the US it peaked at #11 for three weeks.

'Goodbye' was eventually included as the last track on the Spice Girls' third album 'Forever', released almost 2 years later.

In 2007, the Spice Girls performed the song with Geri during their Return of the Spice Girls tour - the only 4-piece song that Geri would later contribute to (she opted against performing Holler and Let Love Lead the Way).

Posted by: Jonjo Sep 28 2017, 12:07 PM

One of my absolute faves. A perfect "final single". So catchy and quite powerful.

A shame it's out so early, but I had a feeling it would be!

Posted by: HarryEzra Sep 28 2017, 12:28 PM

Not shocked 'Goodbye' is out next it is a lovely song and fitting last single from the 5 of them originally.

Posted by: THEO. Sep 28 2017, 12:29 PM

Echoing the surprise at "Goodbye" placing this low but with such high averages overall, anything could be next! I wonder if there will be a song with over a 10 average

Posted by: Mr.X Sep 28 2017, 03:11 PM

Holler and Goodbye out already?!?!?!

Wannabe should have gone straight after Mama

Posted by: Jay ☆ Sep 28 2017, 08:19 PM

I'm going to be away until Sunday, so the next result will come then (sorry!) Hold on to your knickers, girls! x

Posted by: Maurice Sep 29 2017, 11:18 AM

QUOTE(HarryEzra @ Sep 28 2017, 02:28 PM)

Not shocked 'Goodbye' is out next it is a lovely song and fitting last single from the 5 of them originally.

It was a 4 piece single.

Posted by: HarryEzra Sep 29 2017, 11:35 AM

QUOTE(Maurice @ Sep 29 2017, 12:18 PM)

It was a 4 piece single.

Mess I thought Geri was in the music video

Posted by: liamk97 Sep 29 2017, 12:20 PM

'Headlines' was never going to smash here but I'm sad to see it go out first. I wasn't aware of the release or anything to do with the Spice Girls comeback back in 2007 so I didn't have any expectations of what the song would be or anything and could listen to the song as it was. I really enjoy it and prefer it to the likes of 'Mama' and 'Goodbye'. I don't really see anything wrong with the video either.

'Let Love Lead the Way' is okay, I do find the chorus sticks in my head, but it's largely a bit on the bland side and quite dated. A part of me feels it didn't play much part in getting the joint release with 'Holler' to #1.

'Mama' is a cute song but #11 is actually where I'd rank it too. I tend to be done with the song just before the final minute whereas most other Spice Girls songs leaves me wanting to squeeze every last second out of the song.

I've made my thoughts on 'Holler' clear before. I want to like it because it's something a bit different from the girls but it just doesn't work for me. It was just a weaker version of what everyone else was doing at the time, just much better.

'Goodbye' is definitely a fitting "final" song; it's both a farewell to Geri and a closing chapter on their phenomenal 90s success, ready to begin a new one. The right sort of placing for me though, I return to all the rest a lot more.

Posted by: JB2o2o Sep 29 2017, 09:07 PM

I will always adore Holler. It's one of my top faves, the video was amazing, and 3 of them looked so sexy. It deserves to be higher but it's so hard to beat such classic songs. Also I prefer Goodbye over Too Much.

Posted by: SamJudd Sep 29 2017, 11:59 PM

'Headlines' = To be honest I always found that rather disappointing and dull, not a very good comeback single at all, in fact neither of the new songs on the Greatest Hits album were very good, although did have a small soft spot for 90's demo sounding 'Voodoo' which was a lot more fun than this lifeless bore.

'Let Love Lead The Way' = Not one of their best either, but alongside 'Holler' this made for a decent comeback, and this is a nice ballad from them and do like the connecting earth, wind, fire & water themes the videos had. Mel C and Emma's vocals do sound really nice on this though and yeah it's ranked about right on here.

'Mama' = This has that nice warm 90's nostalgia feel to it, and to be honest I very rarely go back to it these days, but on the album it is a standout choice and again releasing it alongside a much stronger song was a pretty smart move in all. It's a shame that we'll never get songs like this anymore with that warm fuzzy feel to it.

'Holler' = Now I really loved this at the time and thought that it was a fantastic comeback single, very slick, funky and fresh (at the time), and marked a whole new chapter for the girls, shame there weren't any other singles that followed this, however I did find this a very interesting direction for the girls.

'Goodbye' = This is the first real shock for me, thought that this would be much higher, just goes to show how strong their discography is, another beautiful ballad from the girls and a well earned #1 hit. Even still to this day this song is well crafted with beautiful lyrics and a perfect goodbye to Geri Halliwell. I loved it then and still love it now.

I predict 'Too Much' will be the next one to drop. BTW Jay great commentaries on these results, keep up the good work.

Posted by: Hide&Seek Sep 30 2017, 10:40 AM

Holler is spoiled by some random man talking through it : ''hollahollahollahollahollacmoan hollahollahollahollacmoan''. Just eurgh.

Mama is a nice tune but the title and lyrics are so corny, that I usually skip it. Do any of them actually call their mum 'Mama' ? It sounds like something you say to a baby when trying to get it to say it's first word. If WDYTYA had to be a double AA, I'd have paired it with Naked instead.

Goodbye - I gave it the lowest score, but having listened to it a few times since voting, it deserved more. When I think of it , I think of the whiny childlike ''No No No Nooooo'' that runs through it. If that was removed, I'd have given it a healthy 7.

Well done voters - you're getting rid of all the ones that deserve it !Spice Up Your Life out next please.

Posted by: Jade Sep 30 2017, 01:15 PM

These results are going well so far! I want to like 'Goodbye' more than I do because of the sentimentality behind it, but as a song it has just never clicked with me. 'Mama' is probably the biggest loss so far but even then it is the weakest 'Spice' single.

Posted by: breezyspice Sep 30 2017, 10:19 PM

Wow Jay, way to put me on the edge of my seat. Is it Sunday, yet?

I generally have a low threshold for ballads, I just don't care for slow music most of the time. However, one of my very favorite Spice songs IS a ballad (hasn't been named yet) so that's a bit of a paradox.

Posted by: Jay ☆ Oct 1 2017, 11:44 PM

QUOTE(liamk97 @ Sep 29 2017, 01:20 PM)

'Headlines': I don't really see anything wrong with the video either.

The video is essentially three of them lounging around in their lingerie (while Emma & Melanie C are dressed more conservatively), including a particularly risque outfit for Victoria's solo section. For the majority of the video they're filmed separately (bar a random Geri/Victoria pairing, and the group walking in one after the other at the beginning).

... this is the treatment for a ballad about their friendship, and for the Children in Need charity! It's all just a really odd fit. It's their worst video by miles imo. I believe it to have played a big part in the single's failure.

The video should have at least shown togetherness... something along the lines of S Club's Say Goodbye (but more celebratory than sad) would have been far better.

Posted by: Jay ☆ Oct 1 2017, 11:52 PM

QUOTE(SamJudd @ Sep 30 2017, 12:59 AM)

BTW Jay great commentaries on these results, keep up the good work.

Thank you Sam!

QUOTE(breezyspice @ Sep 30 2017, 11:19 PM)

Wow Jay, way to put me on the edge of my seat. Is it Sunday, yet?

Ha! More coming asap! *.*

Posted by: Scene Oct 2 2017, 02:28 PM

QUOTE(Jay ☆ @ Oct 2 2017, 12:44 AM)

The video is essentially three of them lounging around in their lingerie (while Emma & Melanie C are dressed more conservatively), including a particularly risque outfit for Victoria's solo section. For the majority of the video they're filmed separately (bar a random Geri/Victoria pairing, and the group walking in one after the other at the beginning).

... this is the treatment for a ballad about their friendship, and for the Children in Need charity! It's all just a really odd fit. It's their worst video by miles imo. I believe it to have played a big part in the single's failure.

The video should have at least shown togetherness... something along the lines of S Club's Say Goodbye (but more celebratory than sad) would have been far better.

The whole single campaign was wrong to be honest. Voodoo should've led with a video parodying their earlier music videos (in St Pancras Station, desert, 2 Become 1's flashing lights, Spiceworld movie) to capitalise on the nostalgia. That along with digital and CD release being the same week before album release, it probably would've given them a top 5 at least.

'Wannabe' is without a shadow of a doubt the Spice Girls' most iconic song, but BuzzJack have collectively decided that seven of their other singles are better than it - would you agree? This is of course the single that launched the girls, 21 years ago!

I think it's fair to say that it's widely regarded as being one of the best/most-successful debut singles in music history - so it's funny to think that the Spice Girls' record label Virgin & their manager Simon Fuller initially had cold feet about the song's commercial potential as their first outing. Instead, they suggested either 'Love Thing' (an eventual 'Spice' album track) or 'Say You'll Be There', feeling they were more mainstream/cool. The outspoken girl group didn't agree - adamant that it had to be 'Wannabe', arguing that it served as a perfect introduction to their personalities and their message of Girl Power.

Thankfully they were listened to, although there were a few more bumps in the road before its release. Their A&R weren't happy with the original version of 'Wannabe' (produced by Matt Rowe and Richard "Biffco" Stannard), feeling that it sounded lacklustre. It was remixed by various American producers to achieve a more R&B and Hip-Hop flavour, but these versions were all vetoed by the girls. Eventually the original version was mixed by audio engineer Mark "Spike" Stent - which is the version we all know and love. Even the music video (shot in April 1996) horrified the label - they were displeased by the gloomy lighting, the clumsiness of the girls, and the fact that it featured old people as extras. Virgin appealed for a reshoot, but once again, the group were steadfast - the video captured "the madness of the Spice Girls", and they were happy with it. Virgin conceded, agreeing to give it a trial airing on music channel The Box to see how it fared.

The reaction to the video was unprecedented. It was requested so many times by viewers that it topped the viewers' chart just 2 hours after its first showing. Airing 70 times a week at its peak, it became the channel's most requested video in its history, and remained as the #1 video for 13 weeks. Singles chart success followed, debuting at #3 on 14th July 1996. It climbed to #1 the following week, and stayed there for 7 weeks. It went on to be the 2nd best seller of the year in the UK, and 21 years later it remains as the most successful single released by a girl group. It's safe to say that the Spice Girls had been proven right to push for 'Wannabe'!

International success followed, and by March 1997 it had reached #1 in 37 different countries - including the US. By the end of 1997, the single had sold 7 million copies worldwide.

The impact of this song can still be felt in 2017 - its view count on YouTube currently stands at 282m, while its Spotify streams have reached 177m - making it one of the most viewed & listened to songs from the 1990s!

What a legendary song tbh. "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want" / "If you wannabe my lover, you gotta get with my friends" / "Slam your body down and wind it all around" / "Zig-a-zig-ahhh"... iconic. *.*

A fun fact to end on: The 'Wannabe' video is widely regarded as having been shot in just one-take, but this isn't actually true. If you watch closely, there are actually cuts. On YouTube, check out the video at 1:24 and 2:46! The pillar and red curtain respectively are cuts. It's particularly obvious at 1:24 because there is a goof - Victoria is shown to run past the pillar twice!

Posted by: THEO. Oct 2 2017, 11:23 PM

Hmm. I fail to see how "2 Become 1" and "Stop" have placed higher than "Wannabe" but I did give high scores to both of those as well. It's such a classic track and such a pleasure to listen to every single time, my only complaint is that it doesn't last long enough 😍

Posted by: all is vanity. Oct 3 2017, 04:35 AM

8th? I thought that would be #1.

Posted by: vibe Oct 3 2017, 12:53 PM

Wannabe cant be 8th!!!

Posted by: schizo_spice Oct 3 2017, 01:05 PM

Wannabe is a fantastic song it does get annoying however that it's pretty much all they are remembered for by a lot of people.

That sort of taints it a bit for me as it sometimes feels like the song is bigger than the group itself.

So yes I do love Wannabe and that instrumental is iconic but they had other singles just as good if not better.

Posted by: cripesdude Oct 3 2017, 01:37 PM

Jay I *love* these commentaries! Even stuff I didn't know and I know a lot!

I was never a big fan of Wannabe from 1996 right up until around 2010? I always found it immature and a bit irritating, and it was Say You'll Be there that got me into the girls. But over the past 5-7 years it's really grown on me. I've come to appreciate it and really understand why it worked and it's iconic status. I have to say though, it's probabaly 8th-10th for me! It launched the girls and encapsulates their arrival... but there was much better to come!

Posted by: Sonia Fowler Oct 3 2017, 05:13 PM

Wannabe is very great so surprised it is out at 8th tbh.

Posted by: Jay ☆ Oct 3 2017, 06:18 PM

QUOTE(cripesdude @ Oct 3 2017, 02:37 PM)

Jay I *love* these commentaries! Even stuff I didn't know and I know a lot!

I'm glad you're enjoying them! I do wonder sometimes how the Spice Girls would have done if they'd gone with something other than Wannabe.

Apologies for the results coming quite slowly... 7th coming tonight!

Posted by: JB2o2o Oct 3 2017, 06:35 PM

Wannabe doesn't deserve to be 8th.

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 3 2017, 06:36 PM

'Wannabe' is an iconic song but they bettered it quite a lot of times so I'm not complaining at that position!

'Too Much' places 7th - with a score that is only 0.01 higher than 'Wannabe'! It's the first song revealed that attracted more than 1 score of 11 - four of you consider this to be your favourite Spice Girls single.

Chosen as the second single to be taken from the album 'Spiceworld', the pop ballad 'Too Much' was released just in time for the UK's 1997 Christmas chart. It went straight in at #1 on sales of over quarter of a million copies - thankfully denying The Teletubbies from being that year's festive #1! It was the girls' sixth consecutive #1 single, making them the first act to see their first 6 singles peak at #1. They held this record until Westlife achieved their 7th #1 in a row in 2000. It is also notably their fourth and final US Top 10 hit, peaking at #9.

By the end of 1997, the Spice Girls' success far transcended the music charts. They had become a phenomenon worldwide - striking sponsorship deals with the likes of Pepsi, Cadbury & Chupa Chups, and launching their own official merchandise - including dolls, just in time for Christmas! There was also their film, 'Spiceworld: The Movie', which was released in UK cinemas on Boxing Day (clips from the movie are included in the 'Too Much' music video). For anyone here too young to have known the Spice Girls in their hey day (perhaps some of you weren't even born then ), this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URhiYBH7n_M of the group arriving at the US premiere of the movie is an example of just how huge they were in that moment in time. *.*

Posted by: THEO. Oct 3 2017, 08:52 PM

That's about the right placing for "Too Much", I love its use as the intro to Spiceworld: The Movie so much *.*

Posted by: Jonjo Oct 3 2017, 09:16 PM

Yessss. Love both of those, but the songs to come are definitely better

Expecting 'Stop' or 'Viva Forever' next! (Which will be the complete opposite to how I feel about the two that have just left )

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 3 2017, 09:24 PM

'Too Much' is my ultimate Spice grower! It was one of their weakest singles for me when I first got into them but it really crept up on me over time, a pretty sultry song that is also classy. I agree with THEO. that its usage in Spiceworld: The Movie was excellent *.* it takes me back to that opening segment every time I hear it

Posted by: all is vanity. Oct 4 2017, 03:37 AM

Too low!

Posted by: Lukuzz Oct 4 2017, 04:55 AM

Goodbye and Holler both too low imo, both so underrated.

Glad to see Wannabe 8th. It is an iconic song but they have so many better songs ! Too Much is about right I think.

I'm gutted to see the bop that is 'Who Do You Think You Are' miss out on a Top 5 finish! This 70s-disco-inspired pop song is about the superstar life, and how someone can get trapped in the world of fame. It was released as a Double A Side single with 'Mama', and became their 4th #1 hit in the UK.

The Brits '97 performance of 'Who Do You Think You Are' (which for some strange reason isn't available to view on YouTube, but is viewable on https://vimeo.com/156831980!) is surely without a doubt the Spice Girls' most definitive performance of the 1990s. A big part of the reason for this is down to Geri's choice of outfit - that iconic http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/14/article-2604477-1D1D95DD00000578-454_634x875.jpg - which is one of the most recognisable dresses of all-time, and is regarded as an iconic symbol of Cool Britannia (to think it was made out of a tea towel!). *.* I think it's a great performance beyond Geri's dress though... their energy & vibe is exhilarating and the atmosphere is palpable! In 2010 it was awarded "Best Live Performance at the BRIT Awards", deservedly so imo.

There's two versions of the music video - the Spice Girls-only version, and a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMniB-HGpfE for Comic Relief. The latter features a satirical version of the group called The Sugar Lumps, played by Kathy Burke, Dawn French, Llewella Gideon, Lulu, and Jennifer Saunders!

P.S. Gotta love Melanie C's ad-libs on this.

Posted by: Spiceboy Oct 4 2017, 10:30 PM

QUOTE(Scene @ Oct 2 2017, 03:28 PM)

The whole single campaign was wrong to be honest. Voodoo should've led with a video parodying their earlier music videos (in St Pancras Station, desert, 2 Become 1's flashing lights, Spiceworld movie) to capitalise on the nostalgia. That along with digital and CD release being the same week before album release, it probably would've given them a top 5 at least.

Voodoo shouldn't even exist! It is b-side material at most.

The Greatest Hits era, looking back, really lets me down. No-one wanted a low key ballad come back from the girls, they were the loud in your face group with real character and, as much as I like Headlines as a song, it was weak for them as a comeback single. I guess if the only options were Headlines or Voodoo then really they had no option. The era in terms of music was quite half assed tbh the focus was clearly on the fantastic tour they put together instead.

Posted by: SamJudd Oct 5 2017, 06:06 PM

Shocked at 'Wannabe' being in 8th place, thought it would have finished top 5 at least, but they have had loads better, I will always have a soft spot for it as it did kick off their massive career and became such an iconic game changer by bringing girl groups back into the charts and creating the girl power movement. Even the song itself is still fantastic and actually bought it on tape when it came out and really loved it at the time with it's fantastic memorable infectious chorus and just all round classic fun. Doubt that there will ever be a group that will make this kind of impact so quickly ever again.

'Too Much' - Another great classic song from them and becoming their 2nd consecutive X-Mas #1, which was a well earned achievement as well as becoming their 6th #1 smash in a row. Always have that fond memory of this being performed at the beginning of 'Spiceworld - The Movie'. But this shouldn't have finished higher than 'Wannabe' though, while this is a nice enough ballad, it's not one of their best. It is a standout on 'Spiceworld' album and was the correct choice following 'SUYL'.

'Who Do You Think You Are' = Again thought that this would have been another shoo-in for a top 5 position, but 6th place isn't too shabby and with a fantastic 8.6 average. Another iconic classic that further cemented their status and a definite smart move releasing it as a double a-side with 'Mama', which would have been kinda weak in my opinion, but together it's immense. Always remember that Brit Awards performance as a young teen with Geri in that iconic union jack dress, they were at the top of their game and nothing could stop them. I remember listening to their debut album 'Spice' and instantly fell in love with this song and thought that it had to be a single, and gladly it was.

Also while I did like 'Voodoo' when the Greatest Hits album was released, in no-way it would have worked as their comeback single neither did 'Headlines' funnily enough, while it is a fun bop, it does sound like a left-over from their debut album recordings. Still wish to this day that 'Woman' would get a proper studio recording and would have been perfect for this album and could have given them their 10th #1 maybe. Also 'Pain Proof' should have been included on this, even that would have been a better choice than 'Headlines'.

Posted by: Sonia Fowler Oct 5 2017, 08:37 PM

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE SHOULD BE TOP 5 that is all.

Posted by: Maurice Oct 5 2017, 08:37 PM

WDYTYA should've been at least top 5.

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 5 2017, 08:58 PM

The iconic Union Jack dress 'Who Do You Think You Are' performance is my favourite Brits performance of all-time such a thrilling watch. The song itself is a total riot and instant pick me up, I think I do prefer all of the top 5 though so this is a perfect finish for it.

The very aptly titled 'Stop' stopped the Spice Girls' run of UK #1 singles! The Motown influenced pop song entered and peaked at #2 on sales of 115,000, denied from the top spot by 'It's Like That' by Run DMC vs Jason Nevins (which sold more than twice as much in its first week - 247,000). The Spice Girls later referenced this defeat during their 2007/8 tour The Return of the Spice Girls, using the intro of 'It's Like That' at the beginning of their 'Stop' performance!

'Stop' was released on 9th March 1998, delayed from its original release date of a week earlier. Had they stuck to 2nd March, perhaps they'd have nabbed a #1 - because 'My Heart Will Goes On' by Celine Dion was #1 with 112k. Not only did 'Stop' break the group's string of #1s, but it also became their first single to not achieve platinum status, merely managing silver within 1998. Thanks to downloads & streaming, 'Stop' became gold certified in 2015.

'Stop' didn't reach #1 anywhere in the world, but it did make the Top 3 in Canada & Ireland, and #5 in Australia. It peaked at #16 in the US, in the direct aftermath of Geri Halliwell leaving the group.

Despite 'Stop' only being their 9th best seller out of 11 releases in the UK, with the passing of time it's arguably become better remembered than some of their #1 hits! It is currently in fourth place in their Spotify popular songs, and is their fifth most viewed video on YouTube. Also, who doesn't know the routine!? Those easy-to-copy hand movements are iconic! *.*

They notably performed it at the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESnJ60VlAlQ - where they defied their critics by singing it live.

P.S. The artwork used for the 'Stop' singles is from a photoshoot that took place in May 1997! I've always found it curious that they used relatively old pictures for this release. *I am probably the only person in the world to remotely care about this x*

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 5 2017, 10:39 PM

Ha I just said to Jay on Skype that I hoped 'Stop' would be out next from the remaining songs, so this is an ideal result again for me! *.* Such a fun song and I love that they incorporated a dance routine into the video, but it's just a case of the other four songs being even stronger.

It is a shame that 'Stop' was never a #1! I actually tried to relaunch the 'Stop to the Top' campaign on Facebook in about 2010 to the success of about 40 people joining

Posted by: Jay ☆ Oct 5 2017, 10:43 PM

Omg Stop to the Top *___* #78 :') #therewasanattempt

Posted by: breezyspice Oct 5 2017, 10:57 PM

Too Much is my fave Spice song regardless of the fact that I hate ballads. Not sure why, but I loved it immediately.

Firstly, look at all those 11s and 10s! That's exactly two thirds of the voters - more top scores received than any other song in this rate. 'Viva Forever' is certainly a fan favourite! However, it also has the dubious honour of being the only song to receive a score of 0, plus another rather "meh" score of 2 dashed its chances of a Top 3 finish. DenDen would have rioted!

'Viva Forever' is a Latin flavoured pop ballad, about a summer romance which has come to a natural end. It was released as the fourth and final single from the Spice Girls' second album 'Spiceworld', in July 1998. Their previous release 'Stop' peaked at #2, but 'Viva Forever' returned them to the top in style - shifting an incredible 278,000 copies in its first week. This was highly impressive, considering that 'Spiceworld' was eight months old at this point and had sold well over a million copies! As well as this, the Spice Girls were busy touring the US in the Summer of 1998 - meaning that its promotion was rather limited. It went on to become the 13th best selling single of 1998, and the 74th best seller of the 1990s decade.

It was a commercial success worldwide, peaking within the Top 10 in many countries including New Zealand (#1), Ireland, Italy & Switzerland (#2). The group opted against releasing it in the US, just like they had done with the 4th single from 'Spice' ('Mama'/'Who Do You Think You Are').

Although the 'Viva Forever' single artwork & music video features five model fairies of the Spice Girls, Geri had walked out on the group two months prior to its release. Despite this, it actually does count towards Geri's personal tally of #1 singles, due to her vocal contribution. It's also worth noting that Geri was the main contributor to its lyrics!

The video was directed by Steve Box of Aardman Animations, who utilised a stop motion animation technique with five, 12 inch high Spice Girls fairy puppets. Interestingly the 4-minute video was five months in the making - by comparison, Spiceworld: The Movie only took two months to shoot! The video's plot is essentially about a young person growing up and leaving their youth behind. A nice touch at the end of the video: only four fairies are seen to fly out of a vending machine - symbolising Geri leaving the Spice Girls.

It's such a beautiful song! I've certainly never begrudged it slaying pretty much every thread of this nature on DenDen, but nevertheless it's interesting that there's a different outcome on BuzzJack. There's just three more singles left to reveal! Which song will be declared as BuzzJack's favourite Spice Girls single? Find out tomorrow!

Posted by: THEO. Oct 6 2017, 11:25 AM

Omg the video for "Viva Forever" is so sad :'( A bit sad to see "2 Become 1" beat it as the highest placed ballad but I genuinely don't know which of the three will be #1! Obviously hoping for a "Spice Up Your Life" win but I wouldn't begrudge "Say You'll Be There" x

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 6 2017, 11:27 AM

Aw it's a shame that 'Viva Forever' couldn't quite finish in a podium position! But it is wonderful to see all of those 11s and 10s for it I do love the vibrancy and fun of the Spice Girls, but the beautiful 'Viva Forever' is the song that captures me most out of their entire discography. It's incredibly haunting. <3

Ooh I had no idea that Aardman were involved with the music video! you learn something new every day. I still don't know what to make of the vid after all these years

'Spice Up Your Life' to win now, then!

Posted by: Maurice Oct 6 2017, 12:12 PM

I feel like i have to rant about Viva Forever not being #1 but i'm too ill to do that. I am very dissapointed in the lack of good taste on Buzzjack though

Posted by: liamk97 Oct 6 2017, 12:15 PM

Wasn't expecting a 'Wannabe' win (I definitely though 'Spice Up Your Life' and 'Say You'll Be There' would be ahead at least) but wasn't anticipating it being as low as #8, particularly out before 'Too Much'. That average is very good though. It's hard to imagine anything other than 'Wannabe' as the song to launch the Spice Girls; it's loud, intense, fun - it's like one big chorus. The girls' personalities are pushed right to the forefront and it's just the most joyous experience.

Did anyone watch Small Soldiers as a kid?

GCOFz9vBfcc

'Too Much' is lovely; my favourite of their Xmas #1s. Mel C is the star of the song.

'Who Do You Think You Are' and 'Stop' are two more fantastic pop songs. Is there any explanation as to why 'Stop' was so relatively unsuccessful? I can only think that their selling-power was starting to dwindle but was then boosted with 'Viva Forever' after all the press interest in Geri leaving the group.

'Viva Forever' is heartbreaking. I remember watching the video when I was little and it, along with Britney's 'Everytime', was like my first taste of feeling emotional over something fictional! Also, there's always that moment in every 90s kid's life that they discover the two people in the video are both male!

'2 Become 1' is too high for my liking but it's a classic and is well loved by the general public as well as fans, so I can't begrudge it being Top 3. Can see it being a 'Say You'll Be There' vs. 'Spice Up Your Life' battle in the final though.

Posted by: vibe Oct 6 2017, 05:22 PM

Viva Forever was way overrated on denden.

I have to say the performance at Wembley stadium is my fav ever performance . Mel C and Mel B slayed .

Posted by: SamJudd Oct 6 2017, 11:13 PM

Wow my predictions was totally wrong, but the remaining 3 are fantastic, and the results overall have been brilliant, although I would have had 'Goodbye' a little higher.

'Stop' = Such fond memories of this, I remember falling in love with this when I bought the album and it quickly became my favourite track on the album and was so pleased when it was announced as the 3rd single. I was devastated when it didn't get to #1 ending their #1's streak, talk about totally robbed. Really loved the motown sound to it and still memorizes the fun dance routine and still to this day this remains one of my firm faves.

'Viva Forever' = This marks a sad moment in pop history as this was the last official single to feature Geri Halliwell (until she came back in 2007). I didn't quite warm to this at the time, but as I got older I found more love for it and yeah I admit that I was disappointed when 'Never Give Up On The Good Times' wasn't released alongside this, as that's another firm fave from the album and still adds it to my own Spice Girls - Greatest Hits (instead of 'Move Over'). But anyway 'VF' remains one of their most beautiful and moving ballads of their careers and can see why it's considered by many as their greatest work, their vocals are just amazing and probably their best vocals. I was also glad this put them back to the top of charts and yes this ended their 2nd era with a bang.

Also when these results are finished, I am really looking forward to doing a 'Spice Girls - Solo Singles Rate', and it will be interesting to see what Buzzjacks thoughts and opinions and what will come out on top.

Also this is my own personal version of their Greatest Hits Album, including the cancelled follow up singles from 'Forever' which was cruelly cut short.

01. Wannabe02. Say You'll Be There03. 2 Become 104. Mama05. Who Do You Think You Are06. Spice Up Your Life07. Too Much08. Stop09. Never Give Up On The Good Times10. Viva Forever11. Let Love Lead The Way12. Holler13. If You Wanna Have Some Fun14. Tell Me Why [Radio Edit]15. Weekend Love16. Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)17. Pain Proof18. Voodoo19. Goodbye

I reckon that 'Headlines' should have been released as a double a-side with 'Pain Proof' as their comeback single, it would have definitely performed a lot better together and may have made the top 10.

Posted by: Jamesy Oct 7 2017, 05:28 PM

Viva Forever on the Spiceworld tour was epic. They then butchered it by editing it down for the Wembley gig.

Some of the results here though are... questionable.

Posted by: Jamesy Oct 7 2017, 05:29 PM

QUOTE(SamJudd @ Oct 7 2017, 12:13 AM)

Wow my predictions was totally wrong, but the remaining 3 are fantastic, and the results overall have been brilliant, although I would have had 'Goodbye' a little higher.

'Stop' = Such fond memories of this, I remember falling in love with this when I bought the album and it quickly became my favourite track on the album and was so pleased when it was announced as the 3rd single. I was devastated when it didn't get to #1 ending their #1's streak, talk about totally robbed. Really loved the motown sound to it and still memorizes the fun dance routine and still to this day this remains one of my firm faves.

'Viva Forever' = This marks a sad moment in pop history as this was the last official single to feature Geri Halliwell (until she came back in 2007). I didn't quite warm to this at the time, but as I got older I found more love for it and yeah I admit that I was disappointed when 'Never Give Up On The Good Times' wasn't released alongside this, as that's another firm fave from the album and still adds it to my own Spice Girls - Greatest Hits (instead of 'Move Over'). But anyway 'VF' remains one of their most beautiful and moving ballads of their careers and can see why it's considered by many as their greatest work, their vocals are just amazing and probably their best vocals. I was also glad this put them back to the top of charts and yes this ended their 2nd era with a bang.

Also when these results are finished, I am really looking forward to doing a 'Spice Girls - Solo Singles Rate', and it will be interesting to see what Buzzjacks thoughts and opinions and what will come out on top.

Also this is my own personal version of their Greatest Hits Album, including the cancelled follow up singles from 'Forever' which was cruelly cut short.

01. Wannabe02. Say You'll Be There03. 2 Become 104. Mama05. Who Do You Think You Are06. Spice Up Your Life07. Too Much08. Stop09. Never Give Up On The Good Times10. Viva Forever11. Let Love Lead The Way12. Holler13. If You Wanna Have Some Fun14. Tell Me Why [Radio Edit]15. Weekend Love16. Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)17. Pain Proof18. Voodoo19. Goodbye

I reckon that 'Headlines' should have been released as a double a-side with 'Pain Proof' as their comeback single, it would have definitely performed a lot better together and may have made the top 10.

I love that track list but I would swap Pain Proof and Voodoo for Move Over and Step To Me which had a single treatment of sorts. It was always a choice the girls including Move Over but not Step To Me on the GH.

Posted by: Jay ☆ Oct 8 2017, 01:10 AM

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Sorry that I haven't revealed the Top 3 yet, I've not been feeling very well with a cold so I haven't been in the mood today. Fingers crossed I will be up for finishing this off tomorrow!

Posted by: Mr.X Oct 8 2017, 05:49 PM

SAY YOU'LL BE THERE FOR THE WIN!!!

Posted by: Scene Oct 9 2017, 03:18 PM

Out of the remaining three, I think SUYL needs to leave next.

Posted by: Mr.X Oct 9 2017, 08:38 PM

QUOTE(Scene @ Oct 9 2017, 04:18 PM)

Out of the remaining three, I think SUYL needs to leave next.

Same. As much as I love it, with time I have grown to not love it as much as I used to. The song is super fun but the lyrics are a bit naff and some of the content is a bit.... culturally insensitive

I get that it is an empowering song, but having a bunch of western and privileged girls going 'yellow man in Timbaktu, colour for both me and you' isn't very appropriate is it?!... I guess it was the 90s and we were kids but STILL!!

Posted by: schizo_spice Oct 9 2017, 08:44 PM

Hope Spice Up Your Life wins it's always been my fave Spice track it's just an incredible pop song hard to believe it's been 20 years since it entered our lives

'2 Become 1' is a pop ballad with a rather coy safe-sex message interwoven in its lyrics. This went completely over my head as a child (I was only 8!), and I'm sure it did for the majority of their young fans too! It was only a few years later that I realised exactly what they were singing about... This was the Spice Girls' first ballad single, in a career that saw over half of their singles output being ballads - and according to BuzzJack, this is the best of the lot! In my opinion, no other girl group mastered the art of the pop ballad quite as consistently as the Spice Girls did.

Prior to the single's release, their debut album 'Spice' had already sold over a million copies in the UK - a phenomenal amount in just six weeks. This didn't stop '2 Become 1' being a runaway success in its own right! In fact it provided the Spice Girls with the fastest selling single of their career, shifting an astonishing 462,000 copies in its first week alone, according to Official Charts - making it their third #1 single and first Christmas #1. Its sales remained strong in week 2, enough for it to be announced as the 5th best selling single of the year - joining 'Say You'll Be There' (4th) & 'Wannabe' (2nd) in the End of Year chart of 1996. Meanwhile 'Spice' was the 3rd best selling album of the year. '2 Become 1' total UK sales are just shy of 1.2 million copies, and it's still within the Top 200 best selling singles of all time in this country!

'2 Become 1' was also a massive hit internationally. It reached #1 in Ireland and Spain, and Top 5 in the following countries: Australia (#2), New Zealand, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands (#3), France, US (#4) and Belgium (#5). Due to its December 1996 release, I've always associated '2 Become 1' with Christmas - but in the US it was a hit during the summer of 1997!

The single version has different lyrics to the album version. "Any deal that we endeavour, boys and girls feel good together" is replaced with "once again if we endeavour, love will bring us back together" for the single version. The likely reason for this lyric change was so that the Spice Girls avoided alienating their LGBT fan base. Geri sang the original album version, but Victoria provides the vocals for the single version! No official reason was given for this change, although it may have been because Victoria didn't sing any lines on 'Wannabe', so was subsequently given more of a moment on '2 Become 1' to compensate for this. Victoria later commented in her autobiography that her lack of lines on 'Wannabe' bothered her, because it lead to her being labelled as the Spice Girl who couldn't sing. Another reason may have been due to the fact that Geri had struggled to sing it, due to the high key (which she admitted in her own autobiography).

Posted by: Sonia Fowler Oct 10 2017, 11:34 PM

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 10 2017, 11:38 PM

Yep I was also an innocent youngster who had no idea about the lewd implications of the song for years, my childhood was ruined when I realised that it contained lyrics about safe sex! '2 Become 1' is stunning, the Spice Girls really knocked it out of the park at times with their ballads - with the likes of this and 'Viva Forever'. It is still an absolute pleasure to hear '2 Become 1' on the radio and music channels each December!

This top 2 is exquisite *.*

Posted by: vibe Oct 11 2017, 06:00 AM

I thought 2b1 was going to win !!

Posted by: THEO. Oct 11 2017, 04:08 PM

Yas at "2 Become 1" not winning.

Although it shouldn't have been top three anyway.

Posted by: Liаm Oct 11 2017, 04:28 PM

Yaass VF not top 3

Posted by: SamJudd Oct 12 2017, 12:51 AM

Another firm favourite of mine, I remember when '2 Become 1' came out and bought it (even though I already owned the album). That's how big a fan I was back in the day and just loved everything they did and listened to that album constantly memorizing every line on all the songs, plus out of my friends I was the only one who noticed the line change on the single version which is kinda funny looking back now, such memories.

When I was in school the Spice Girls were my absolute favourite group and constantly bought magazines with them on the cover, books or any merchandise of theirs, coz I was totally obsessed, until Steps came along that is and they did kinda went quiet as a group after 'Goodbye', which was when I kinda moved on from them. But '2B1' is such a beautiful track and their voice sound fantastic on it, they were one of the only girl groups who could pull of a ballad without it sounding dull.

So yeah I do agree that this is probably their best ballad which definitely earned it's success and well deserved. Even on the album itself it still stands out as being one of the best.

Also remember at the time that after 'Mama/Who Do You Think You Are' was released, that I really wanted 'Love Thing' as the 5th single as I totally loved it at the time, but looking back now I'm glad they didn't as it's very dated now, but still a fun bop.

This is how I rank the tracks on 'Spice' =

Say You'll Be There2 Become 1WannabeWho Do You Think You AreMamaLove ThingIf U Can't DanceSomething Kinda FunnyNakedLast Time Lover

Posted by: Supercell Oct 12 2017, 02:18 PM

Just catching up with the results.

Can't believe Wannabe was as low as #8 I knew it wouldn't be top but not that low! Absolute timeless classic that if it were released today it wouldn't sound too out of place. The song being no.1 for weeks is one of my first memories of the charts, in fact it was the Spice Girls's that developed my interest in the charts in the first place. Love Wannabe though, used to find the zig a zig ahh hilarious at the time still easily my favourite by a mile.

Too Much is one of those that I loved at the time but always slightly preferred 2 become 1 for its big bold sound. Over the years though this has massively grown on me, so much so its now my second favourite behind Wannabe. Such a smooth classy sounding song. Especially love Geri and Mel C's lines, I think the song definitely suited their vocals. As some have said the use in the film was very much on point.

Viva Forever is a brilliantly crafted pop song but really does summarise the mood and heartbreak of Geri leaving the group at the time. I remember being distraught when Geri left as she was by far my favourite, the video I never liked either as it just made me sad watching it at the time, for these reasons Im not overly keen on it.

Who Do You Think You Are and the Brits, just love watching that performance! I vaguely remember watching it on telly at the time but remember more the impact it had afterwards in the media coverage and Geri's other eyebrow raising dress Although I liked it at the time, really not found of Mama at all now I think If U Cant Dance would be been a brilliant double A side to the song. A good showcase of how phenomenal they were at the time, the screaming of the fans carrying on well into the song. Think the only time the Brits has created such a media storm following a performance since then, that I remember is Adele.

BuzzJack's runner up is 'Spice Up Your Life' - my personal favourite Spice Girls song. It fills me with joy every time I hear it... when I'm feeling sad and low, they will take me where I wanna go! It was released as single 20 years ago to the date - 13th October 1997.

'Spice Up Your Life' is an uptempo dance-pop song with Latin influences, and contains uplifting & motivational lyrics (as well as some downright nonsensical ones - that second verse though!). Melanie C says of the song: "We always wanted to do a carnival tune and write a song for the world."

Although the song has bright and positive themes lyrically, its music video is quite the juxtaposition - it received a very dark and gloomy treatment. The Spice Girls themselves wanted a carnival party theme, but what eventuated was a concept inspired by the 1982 movie Bladerunner. The video sees the girls in a futuristic setting, aboard a spaceship. They're seen to be dominating rulers, controlling every aspect of society. The video could be interpreted as being an exaggeration of the worldwide domination the Spice Girls were experiencing in the late 90s, although this particular version of a "Spiceworld" doesn't look like a particularly appealing place to be! Mel B stated in her autobiography that although the group enjoyed making the video, they didn't like the result - but were too tired by their heavy schedule to fight with the label about it. Personally, I really like it - it's a really unique entry in the Spice Girls' videography. Check out this extended directors cut of the video - the last 12 seconds were cut from the final version, and it's not hard to see why - quite mature and creepy imagery! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9HuBIlM4c&t=3m0s

'Spice Up Your Life' was originally intended to be released on October 6th 1997 in the UK, but the Spice Girls/Virgin decided to delay the single by a week due to Elton John's single 'Candle In The Wind' continuing to achieve strong sales (a single released in memory of Princess Diana, who'd tragically died in a car crash in August 1997). When the girls finally released the single, it sky-rocketed to #1 on tremendous first week sales of 321,000 copies. This would actually have been enough to displace Elton John from #1 the previous week after all; 'Candle In The Wind' had sold 274,000 copies in its 5th week at the top.

In the week 'Spice Up Your Life' entered at #1 in the UK, there was another new entry at #2 - 'Barbie Girl' by Aqua. This went on to replace the Spice Girls at #1 the following week. This was therefore the first time that a Spice Girls single had only managed one week at #1. As of March 2017, 'Spice Up Your Life' reached a total of 910,000 copies, making it the group's 4th best selling single. 805,000 of those sales were sold within the 1990s, which was enough to make it the 39th biggest selling single of the decade.

'Spice Up Your Life' peaked at #2 in several countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden, and peaked within the Top 20 in all major markets, including #18 in the US (it struggled somewhat due to a downturn in radio support compared to the 'Spice' era singles, but nevertheless it became gold certified, denoting shipments of over 500,000 copies).

Notable 'Spice Up Your Life' performances include its premiere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r03_iLh_ng on the National Lottery, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13fsBa6-hWU (where the girls won the 'Outstanding Contribution to Music' award) and my personal favourite, the 2012 Summer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PArTdhNda7k Closing Ceremony. *.*

'Spice Up Your Life' received six 11 scores and twenty one 10s, and no lower than a 6 - incredible! But outdoing that, is...

'Say You'll Be There' is an infusion of pop and R&B, which is lyrically about relationships and being there for each other. It was released as the lead single from the Spice Girls' debut album 'Spice', on 14th October 1996 - that is 21 years ago, tomorrow! ;o

After the mammoth success of their debut single 'Wannabe', many critics wrote the Spice Girls off as being a likely one hit wonder - but the edgy and credible 'Say You'll Be There' stood to prove them wrong! Perhaps there was more to the Spice Girls than initially met the eye.

'Say You'll Be There' was hugely successful, particularly in the UK. It stormed to #1 with first week sales of 349,000 copies, which made it the second fastest selling song of 1996 up to that point (only trailing Babylon Zoo's 'Spaceman' which sold 418,000 copies, but eventually bettered by the Spice Girls' third release '2 Become 1'). 'Say You'll Be There' spent a fortnight at #1, shifting over half a million copies in that time frame! As of July 2017, it has sold just 8,000 copies shy of a million. It was also a major hit in the US, where it set a record by entering straight into the Top 5 in the Billboard Hot 100, at #5 - making it the highest entry ever by a British act, up to that point. It went on to peak at #3.

The music video for 'Say You'll Be There' was filmed in the Mojave Desert in California, and is inspired by the films Pulp Fiction and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!. The group play "female techno-warriors" going by the names of "Katrina Highkick" (Melanie C), "Trixie Firecracker" (Geri), "Kung Fu Candy" (Emma), "Midnight Miss Suki" (Victoria), and "Blazin' Bad Zula" (Mel B). The theme of the video is female empowerment & solidarity. It went on to win 'Best Pop Video' at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party 1996, and the 'Best British Video' award at the 1997 Brit Awards. *.*

With incredible scores of ten 11s, twenty 10s and nothing lower than a 7, I think we can mostly agree that 'Say You'll Be There' is a very worthy winner. Thanks to everyone who contributed in the rate, and thanks for making it a success! Please let us know what you think of the final results.

Posted by: Maurice Oct 13 2017, 02:53 PM

Yas SYBT is a great winner!

Posted by: THEO. Oct 13 2017, 02:58 PM

Excellent top two *.* I'd have them the other way around but I can't complain about "Spice Up Your Life" finishing in the top two, I wouldn't have had it down as a Buzzjack favourite!

Thank you so much for hosting this rate, Jay! A really excellent start for the revival of the Spice forum, your commentaries are by far the best that I have ever read on this site, they were very interesting to read and I've learned a lot about their release strategies! I hope you can keep it up with future rates (solo singles next?!)

P.S. I think you may have made a typo here?

QUOTE(Jay ☆ @ Oct 13 2017, 03:45 PM)

'Spice Up Your Life' peaked at #2 in several countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden, and peaked within the Top 20 in all major market, including #18 in the US (it struggled somewhat due to a downturn in radio support, but nevertheless became gold certified, donating shipments of over 500,000 copies).

Posted by: Jay ☆ Oct 13 2017, 03:37 PM

Thanks so much Theo, that's a huge compliment!

I would have rather seen Spice Up Your Life win too... it's easily one of my favourite songs of all time. I'm not at all surprised that Say You'll Be There out did it though, it always used to on DenDen as well (although it was Viva Forever that usually reigned supreme). SYBT is excellent though, a great winner. *.*

Solo Singles rate is indeed coming up - this will be hosted by SamJudd! Looking forward to that. <3

And oops yes, that was a typo I didn't proof-read that in time! :')

Posted by: »ïïïïïïïïïïïïï. Oct 13 2017, 04:52 PM

Great thread Jay loved reading your comments and I agree with Theo!

Oh, and SUYL is my fav. Glad it reached #2!

Posted by: SamJudd Oct 13 2017, 06:16 PM

Fantastic result, thanks for hosting this Jay and will be doing my solo rate either later tonight or tomorrow, so I'm very excited for that. Both these songs are fantastic but 'Say You'll Be There' was the correct winner and a what a follow up to the ever great 'Wannabe'.

'Spice Up Your Life' = Another great song, loved it instantly while others around me took a little bit longer to warm to it, but I loved it straight away it's such a fantastic pop song with everything thrown at it (including the kіtchen sink), but it works and love the Latin influences and carnival feel, such a ballsy in your face pop song that sadly we don't get anymore.

Again Jay thanks for doing this and can only hope that my solo rate will be half as good or successful.

Posted by: Jade-o-Lantern🎃 Oct 13 2017, 06:46 PM

I must echo what everyone else has said about the commentary, Jay! You really have a knack for it and particularly for an act like the Spice Girls that you're so passionate about *.* 'Say You'll Be There' is a great winner, for some reason I was under the impression that it wasn't thaaat well-regarded as it doesn't seem as talked about nowadays as the likes of Wannabe, 2 Become 1, Spice Up Your Life, Viva Forever etc... but I guess it's just one of those songs that is solid and hard to dislike, so is going to do well across the board. 'Say You'll Be There' is such a slick song and I really like the message of friendship and loyalty, even if it isn't quite as in-your-face as 'Wannabe'. The "if you put 2 and 2 together you can see what our friendship is 4" line is a highlight *.* plus the music video is so much fun with them all having characters! I especially like Mel C's gymnastics parts. I think it is my favourite music video of theirs, with the 'Spice Up Your Life' video second, so that would be an ideal result for me if it was a music video rate but I really love these two songs anyway so well done Buzzjack. SUYL is such a vibrant and personality-driven song, much like 'Wannabe', but I have always warmed to it way more than that. Maybe as it's not quite as forceful and I'm all over the latin influences.

Thank you so much for this!! Now for the solo rate then 'Never Be The Same Again' to slay x

Posted by: Sonia Fowler Oct 13 2017, 09:24 PM

Amazing top 2 Thrilled my fave Spice Girls Single finished top 1st

Thanks for hosting this Jay! Impressive Commetary

Posted by: Hide&Seek Oct 15 2017, 05:58 PM

Thankyou to Jay !

Happy enough with Say You'll be There winning, expected it to be up there or thereabouts.

Shocked at Spice Up Your Life being so popular ! I hated it when it was a new single, had me thinking they were a one album wonder.....but then I went on to love Stop and Too Much (and then the second album, of course). Spice Up Your Life has grown on me over the years, but I still gave it it's lowest score of 6 which isn't too mean of a score really.

Posted by: Jamesy Oct 16 2017, 01:52 PM

Refreshing to see a winner other than Viva Forever. Not sure I agree with SYBT being number 1 but you can't win 'em all!

Posted by: Euphorique Oct 20 2017, 04:57 AM

QUOTE(Liаm @ Oct 11 2017, 05:28 PM)

Yaass VF not top 3

Your taste is atrocious dude, a 0 for a masterpiece?

Anyway, not pleased to see SYWBT winning since they've done far better, but I'm please to see Wannabe kinda flop. Goodbye deserved a lot better, as did Mama.

Posted by: Jack Oct 25 2017, 11:38 AM

Just reading through this (very late) now - love the commentary Jay, so interesting to read!

Annoyed that Mama is so low, I always thought it was a beautiful song Shocked to see Wannabe so low as well, really not that much of a fan of Who Do You Think You Are or Stop either tbh.